CARL SANDBURG WRITES “CHICAGO”

Dear Millennium Park

by Andres Baliudares

It kills me to remember; I shouldn’t remember.

The thoughts that go through my mind while walking right next to you brings me back to that day. The sun was out, yet it was cloudy with the chance of rain. The thoughts going in my head were to make that day perfect, not okay, not alright {all right}, but perfect. I tend to do this a lot. I reminisce about my memories.

Are you interested in knowing why it hurts? Why everyday is harder to fall asleep at night? Well, Millennium, you are part of that memory. When you close your eyes what do you hear? The water pouring down through the fountains. The wind rustling up the flowers in the garden? The chattering of people walking? Well, when I’m there I close my eyes and…remember.

The memory is the hardest thing to do due to the fact it was caused by my past loved one. She meant everything to me. We spent an entire afternoon admiring your beautiful features.

Smiles, laughs, hugs, kisses. More to the list, I’ll add love. We fell in love by a tree in your garden. Yet slowly and quietly our love began to fade. When I go and visit you, all I hear is the wind, blowing my emptyness {emptiness} away…